1. Scope of Invention
This invention relates generally to water craft and floatation therefor, and more particularly to an emergency floatation system for supporting a water craft in emergency situations.
2. Prior Art
The use of water craft and the general availability of pleasure-type water craft has drastically increased in recent years. Heretofore, the majority of water craft used off shore were of a commercial or military nature. However, pleasure craft have become considerably larger in size, more sophisticated and significantly more capable of sustaining heavier seas and for prolonged periods as when cruising or fishing offshore.
Additionally, the sophistication and increased cost of manufacture of water craft have combined to render the insurance rates of such water craft substantially higher than in the past. Replacement in a total loss situation as when the vessel is sunk and rendered unrecoverable, have further combined to increase the insurance risk and costs thereof.
Because of this wider ranging capability of pleasure craft, it has become increasingly difficult for U.S. Coast Guard services, other emergency services, and other pleasure craft in the area to reach a vessel in distress in a timely fashion. As a result, the number of vessels which are lost at sea by sinking has increased drastically.
The net result of the above changes in water craft circumstances has created a significant need for providing an emergency buoyancy system which will maintain an otherwise sinking vessel afloat so that emergency personnel and vessels may be of use to prevent loss of life and vessel.
Additionally, the overall aesthetic appearance of modern pleasure craft has become much more sophisticated and significant, playing a very important role in the marketability of each line of new pleasure-type water craft. These demanding aesthetics, therefore, place a similar requirement upon any emergency floatation system which may be incorporated into such modern water craft.
One device which arguably accomplishes some of the above objectives is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,121,888 invented by Morgan teaching a water craft preserver which is connected along each gunnel of the water craft. The device includes an inflatable cylindrical member which is held in an uninflated position within a J-shaped cross section resilient member. However, the Morgan device is aesthetically unpleasing and provides only manual activation of a compressed gas cylinder positioned at the aft end of each inflatable cylinder.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,864,961, Slonski has invented an auxiliary floatation system which houses a deflated sheath positioned within a cylindrical canister mounted transversely to an opening of a side surface of the hull. When triggered as by a pressure source or manual activation, the sheath is inflated, forcing a piercing arrangement outwardly through a circular disc which otherwise seals the entire arrangement at the outer surface of the hull. The Slonski device, therefore, requires substantial modification to an interior intrusion of the hull to incorporate this system into a water craft.
Meinen, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,817,555 teaches a boat floatation collar which is housed within a generally U-shaped upwardly oriented bumper guard positioned longitudinally along the gunnel of the water craft. A water level float triggers the opening of the compressible gas bottle to inflate the pneumatic cells positioned within the bumper guard which inflate and support the water craft from sinking. Again, the Meinen device is somewhat unattractive when positioned as described along the gunnel of a water craft. Further, none of the references described in the background of Meinen do not disclose structural elements or benefits of the present invention.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,458,618, Tuffier teaches a safety device for rendering a sailboat unsinkable. The device includes three inflatable envelopes which are placed in the bunk area of the water craft. Covington, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,625,674 also teaches a gunnel floatation pipe and method for an aluminum boat, the floatation pipe being welded to the aluminum gunnel.
The present invention provides an emergency floatation system which will maintain a water vessel afloat at its normal water depth and to prevent sinking thereof. The system includes aesthetically pleasing covers along or just below the water line or chine area of each side of the hull extending from the transom forward which serve to house inflatable buoyancy tubes contained therein. The covers are detached and freed from a support base member when the buoyancy tubes are activated and filled for buoyancy by a source of compressed gas aboard the water craft. Triggering of the present invention may be either manually or by a sensor which is activated at a prescribed water depth or pressure above the sensor as when the water craft is partially sunk. By so positioning the buoyancy tubes, the vessel will remain afloat with minimal interior water damage and be able to make way or be towed safely to port.